


but we fell like rain

by wrenrouge



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Canon Compliant, Falling In Love, Friends to Lovers, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-09
Updated: 2019-05-09
Packaged: 2020-02-28 22:56:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,329
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18765988
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wrenrouge/pseuds/wrenrouge
Summary: Even with distance, Kuroo will always follow Kenma. It take Kuroo moving away for Kenma to realize this.





	but we fell like rain

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! So this was gonna be my kuroken day gift back in January but I never finished it because of things and then more things happened which delayed it until this month. Unfortunately, I didn't get to post it during our second kuroken day either, but that's okay, because it's always kuroken day in my heart ;v; 
> 
> Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this, happy reading!!!

_ When through that mist _

_ I see the shape of you _

_ And I know, and I know _

_ That I'm in love with you _

— Sun, Two Door Cinema Club

 

\---

 

"You're going to get your game wet, you know." 

It was pouring, but Kenma insisted on playing his game under the umbrella Kuroo was holding for them. The walk to school was already dreadful enough without the addition of rain, but here they were, the weather relentless as they crossed the street to get to the train station.

Kenma continued to press buttons, not even batting an eyelash at Kuroo's chiding, "You won't let it happen." 

"How do you know that?" 

Kenma looked up at the umbrella Kuroo was holding and how every time he walked a little too fast, Kuroo immediately caught up, "I just know." he said looking down at his game once more. 

There was a pause of comfortable silence before Kuroo spoke once more, "So I got my university acceptances already." 

Kenma hummed in response, allowing Kuroo to continue. He looked up from his game when Kuroo did not say anything more. "Where did you get in?" he asked. 

Kuroo looked pensive, as though he wasn't sure how to phrase his thoughts. Kenma let him think for a while, playing his game as he waited.

They were at the station when Kuroo finally spoke. "I got in everywhere I applied.”  

Kenma wasn’t one bit surprised by this, but he knew Kuroo had something else to say if he was being strange about his acceptances. 

“Including Kyodai." Kuroo finally said. 

Kenma looked up from his game again to look at his friend. He could sense there were more layers to that utterance than Kuroo wanted to admit, he just couldn't piece what those layers were. His own thoughts were racing and clicking together like puzzle pieces, trying to decipher what that meant for Kuroo and what that meant for him. He had naively settled onto the idea that Kuroo was not going to leave Tokyo for college, but it appeared Kuroo had other ideas. They weren't bad, but they were unexpected. Kenma didn't know what to say, he was happy for Kuroo, but the idea of him leaving to a different part of Japan didn't settle well in his stomach.

"That's far." he finally said. 

"It's not that far." 

Kenma guessed it wasn't, but he wasn't sure why the thought made him feel queasy. Nonetheless, he would support this decision if that was what Kuroo chose in the end.

"Congratulations, I’m proud of you.” And Kenma  _ was  _ proud of him, he was happy and couldn’t wait to see where Kuroo would choose. Kenma wasn’t worried about Kuroo leaving him once he chose a university. He knew Kuroo wanted to go to college and he supported his decision. This wasn’t the first time Kuroo had to “leave him” after all. Because if there’s anything Kenma knew, was that Kuroo would always stick around regardless of where he went. They were best friends, that would never change. However, the idea of Kuroo leaving Tokyo had never occurred to him. It was a foreign idea, one that brought dread to his mind. Kuroo had left him before, this wasn’t new, but when he left he was always at a close distance where Kenma could easily follow. Kyodai was far enough that this wasn’t possible and Kenma knew he wanted to protest, but he didn’t want to discourage Kuroo from choosing Kyodai if that’s what he wanted. 

“Thanks, Kenma.” And despite Kuroo giving him a smile, Kenma felt he had given Kuroo the wrong answer. 

 

\---

 

During practice, Kuroo broke the news to his teammates. Kenma stood by him as everyone congratulated Kuroo. 

"Kuroo-san, you're amazing!" Inuoka all but yelled, jumping in excitement. 

"Where are you going to go?" Shibayama asked, unsuccessfully dodging Inuoka's limbs. 

Kuroo rubbed the back of his neck, looking flustered at all the attention they were giving him, "I'm not sure yet, I'm still thinking about it." 

"You should think faster." 

"Aww Yakkun, you're really that invested in my education? I never thought the day would c o—OW! What was that for?!" Kuroo hissed after Yaku had given him a swift kick to the behind. 

"A kick to the ass for being an ass, that's what." 

Kenma snickered at their bickering and Kuroo took note of it, "Kenma, you're on his side? I thought we were friends!" 

Kenma walked toward Yaku and looked directly at Kuroo, "I prefer Yaku over you anyday."

Kuroo put a hand to his chest, "A painful blow," he said dramatically. 

"Alright, we should start practice now," Kai, the voice of reason, finally interjected.

Yaku nodded in agreement, "Right, let's start with our warm-ups." 

 

\---

 

They were playing video games in Kenma's room, the rain pitter pattering outside. They didn't have practice for once and they had decided to rest by playing a new game Kenma had recently bought. Kenma was sprawled out on his bed and Kuroo on the floor, the game's music and the pushing of buttons filling the room when Kuroo spoke, cutting through the noise.

“I chose Kyodai.”  

Kenma was caught off guard so much so that he pressed the wrong button too hard and killed his character on the screen. Before his character could respawn, he paused the game instead. There was an immediate silence in the room. It wasn't the kind that brought them comfort, it was heavy and explosive all the same. 

Kenma didn't know what to say nor what to feel. He was excited for Kuroo, he supported his decisions, but despite this, he felt a tinge of sadness. He felt as though he was about to lose something precious, a piece of himself he didn't know existed until then. 

He looked down at Kuroo sitting on the floor. Their eyes met and they both looked away. Kenma tried to think of anything to say, anything that would kill the unbearable silence. 

"I..." Kenma started, "I'm happy for you." And he was, he was happy that Kyodai was where Kuroo wanted to go, he knew that they had a great program for Kuroo and that he would thrive there. But, it came with consequences, selfish consequences Kenma wasn't sure he was ready to admit. 

"You are?" Kuroo sounded surprised, "You're not mad?" 

"Why would I be mad?" 

Kuroo shrugged, avoiding Kenma's eye contact, "I don't know, I just thought you'd be disappointed or something. It's not Tokyo." 

"Don't be stupid, I'll support you regardless of where you go. You know this." And it was true. As much as it pained Kenma to know that Kuroo wouldn't be around him as often anymore, he was confident that Kuroo made the right choice. 

Kuroo looked over at Kenma, eyes full of something Kenma couldn't decipher, before turning back to the television screen, "okay," he said. "Let's play another level, this one is boring."

Kenma nodded, unsure of what Kuroo was trying to tell him. He knew something was brewing in Kuroo's head, but for once he wasn't sure what to make of it. "Alright, you choose." 

 

\---

 

The time for Kuroo to move to Kyoto came surprisingly fast. Kenma had helped him pack his things and even volunteered to go with him to the train station. 

"You be good, okay? Take care of the first years and take them to nationals again and don't be afraid to call me if you need help with something and  —" 

"Kuro, stop trying to replace my mom." 

"I just want you to succeed!" 

"...by being my mom." 

"Am not!" 

"Are too."

"Am not."

"Are too and shut up now or you'll miss your train."

"Rude. I thought you loved me," Kuroo frowned for emphasis.

Kenma scrunched up his face in fake disgust, "You must've been dreaming." 

"Kenma, you're breaking my heart here. Look it's in pieces," Kuroo extended his hand out so Kenma could see, and once he did, Kuroo flicked his nose, snickering.

"That's it, I'm leaving." Kenma turned to leave, mad at himself for falling for Kuroo's trick.

"But Kenmaa," Kuroo whined, drawing out his name, "you haven't said goodbye yet."

Kenma brought up his middle finger, aiming it at Kuroo. "Good riddance."

Kuroo openly gaped, before giving Kenma his signature smirk, "You're such a brat, you know." 

"I'm aware." 

They snorted at their exchange. 

"I'm going to miss you," Kuroo finally said, approaching Kenma, before enveloping him in his arms.

Kenma's breath hitched at being surrounded by Kuroo. It's not like they didn't hug regularly, they did, but this felt different. It felt like an end to something and Kenma didn't like it. He hugged Kuroo back, holding him as tightly as Kuroo was holding him. Maybe this way, Kuroo wouldn't leave. "I'm going to miss you too," Kenma whispered into Kuroo's chest and only hugged tighter. 

After what seemed like hours, they finally let go. He accompanied Kuroo to as far into the station as he could before they parted ways. As he left for his own train home, Kenma couldn't help but think about how life would be different without Kuroo's constant presence. His eyes stung at the thought as he stepped into his train alone for the first time in years.

 

\---

 

"Kenma, you should definitely visit me one day." 

It had been a couple weeks since Kuroo had left for college. Despite them speaking regularly on the phone and through video calls, Kenma found it somewhat difficult to adjust without Kuroo's presence. It wasn't like he was needy for Kuroo, it was just strange not having Kuroo around. It was like losing a limp and then feeling it there every once in a while, only to realize it wasn't actually there anymore. He wondered if Kuroo was dealing with the same issue, but from what it seemed, that wasn't the case. 

"I've been exploring the area and it's beautiful here, I'd like for you to see it in person." Kuroo continued. 

"I'll try to when I can and I'm not swamped with school." Kenma said through the phone, a small smile forming on his lips. He always liked listening to Kuroo talk about his adventures.

"Oh yeah, how's everything? Studying for the entrance exams?" Kuroo asked, changing the topic. 

Kenma reassured Kuroo that he was studying and that he was keeping busy with school, as well as volleyball. He told him about the team and how they were working hard to make the battle at the trash heap happen again, and this time actually win against Karasuno. 

Kuroo listened intently, adding his own commentary as Kenma spoke, and providing advice when Kenma seemed unsure of what to do. In return, Kenma let Kuroo rant about how college was nice but also difficult, and how he found it daunting being flooded with work all the time. 

"Shouldn't you go back to doing your homework then?" 

"I can, but I'd rather talk to you." Kuroo admitted confidently, catching Kenma off guard. He could feel his face turning red, for whatever reason, he didn't know, it was just Kuroo afterall. 

"That's not going to get your work done," 

"Do you want me to hang up?" Kuroo asked, voice soft, Kenma barely heard it. 

Kenma thought about it. Although he knew Kuroo had things to do, he also did not want to hang up the phone. He missed Kuroo, this much was certain, but now that there was distance between them, something in his gut told him he wanted to treasure every moment with his best friend as much as he could.  

"No," he finally settled on, because it was the truth. 

"Okay, " Kuroo said softly, "I won't hang up." 

 

\---

 

Their loss was bittersweet. On the one hand, it was a fun game and they managed to have the battle at the trash heap happen again during nationals, but on the other, Kenma felt like he let his team down. He was certain they would win this time, he had calculated every toss and every step in hopes that this time, they would not fail. 

But they did, and Kenma felt emotional in ways he hadn’t before experienced. In their last battle, Kenma had taken the loss well, focusing on the spark of enjoyment that reverberated throughout his body, knowing that he would have another chance to win in the next year. 

The next year came and went, and they did not win. 

He was proud of Shouyou's growth, telling him so as they exchanged hugs on the court. 

"This was fun, I'm glad we could do this again, Kenma!" 

Kenma smiled softly at Shouyou's enthusiasm, masking his disappointment in himself, "Yeah, it was." his voice steady as he swallowed his urge to cry. 

He texted Kuroo that night about their loss and Kuroo immediately called him. Kenma answered him on the second ring, putting his phone by his ear.

"Hey." 

"Hi."

And that's all it took for Kenma's walls to break. He sobbed earnestly as he clung to his phone, listening to Kuroo telling him it was going to be alright. But it wasn't going to be alright, because they had lost, and it was his fault, and he failed his team, and most of all he had failed Kuroo. He told Kuroo all of this and more, exposing himself raw and unbridled to his childhood friend of many years. 

Kuroo listened and did not ask for further explanations, letting Kenma parse his feelings into tangible thoughts as he reasoned with them to find a thread of rationality. As he quieted down, he wiped his eyes with his jacket, trying to regain his composure. 

"Kenma." Kuroo began, once Kenma's sobs turned into sniffles, "You didn't fail." 

"But—" 

"You didn't fail." Kuroo said in such a confident voice Kenma almost believed him. Almost. “Our team may have lost, but it’s not your fault, it’s no one’s fault. Mistakes happen, but it would be unfair to blame anyone for them. You gave it your best shot, you had fun. that’s all I could ever hope for. I’m proud of you, Kenma.” 

Kenma could feel the tears streaming down his face as Kuroo continued to tell him about how much of an amazing setter he was, how he was the heart and brain of Nekoma and to never forget it. He snorted at Kuroo’s words, he always found it embarrassing when Kuroo would wax poetic about his place on the team, but now Kenma welcomed his words as they soothed him like a warm blanket in the dead of winter. 

“Don’t laugh, it’s true! You’re amazing, Kenma” Kuroo told a giggling Kenma, but his words were lost as the knot in Kenma’s throat was dislodged by his bubbling laughter.

“Kuro,” Kenma began after gaining his composure once again, “Thank you.” 

“Anytime,”  Kuroo replied, a softness to his voice that Kenma was beginning to be more aware of. 

Kenma’s heart felt full of something he couldn’t quite place, but he reveled in the feeling as Kuroo changed topics into something lighter. He was in the middle of telling a story involving apple juice when Kenma noticed they’d been talking for over an hour. 

“Kuro,” Kenma interrupted, “I should go, the team must be looking for me.” 

“You probably should, it’s late anyway.”  

“Kuro.”

“Yeah?” 

“Thank you again.”  

“Kenma, I…” There was hesitance in Kuroo’s voice as if what he wanted to say shouldn’t be heard. “ I’m glad you’re my friend.” he finally settled on and Kenma wasn’t sure why he felt disappointed. 

“I’m glad too.” was all Kenma could say, and yet it wasn’t enough. 

 

\---

 

"I'm going to visit home tomorrow." 

Kenma hummed at Kuroo's statement. He was playing a game while they were on a video call; absorbed in the game's mechanisms, but still completely aware of Kuroo, it felt like old times. He looked up when Kuroo didn't say much else, pausing his game, only to witness Kuroo looking at him through the screen of his computer, expression soft with a small smile on his face. It was the same smile Kuroo gave to the neighborhood strays when they allowed him to pet them. Contentment, Kenma's mind supplied, Kuroo was content. 

"What?" 

Kuroo shook his head, smile growing, "Nothing, it's just nice watching you play games like this. I missed it." 

Kenma's eyes widened at the statement; just like before, Kenma was caught off guard by Kuroo's sincerity. "I missed it too," he spoke softly, almost a whisper, but by the look Kuroo gave him, he was heard. Kenma couldn't help his lips twitch at the edges, before looking back down at his game, hoping his hair would cover up the redness of his cheeks. "It's going to rain tomorrow." 

"I know. " Kuroo said, "I don't mind." 

"Weirdo." 

"You love me anyway."

"Do not." Kenma's lips quirked up as he said it, knowing full well what would ensue. 

"Do too." Kuroo followed, because he always followed. 

 

\---

 

Once their video call ended, Kenma got ready for bed. And as he laid there, waiting for sleep to claim him, he thought about Kuroo visiting the next day, and he realized in his sleepy daze that he was excited for Kuroo's arrival. Just the thought made his stomach explode into butterflies, each tickling his insides as he finally pieced together what was happening to him. The warm fuzziness Kuroo had always made him feel, the tenderness in which he remembered Kuroo and the safety Kuroo's presence provided him all assembled together to form what Kenma had been feeling for his friend all this time. 

Love. 

He was in love.  _ Oh _ , he thought,  _ I love him _ . And somehow instead of filling him with dread, the idea warmed his soul, and we welcomed the feeling with open arms, because nothing felt as safe and true as loving Kuroo Tetsurou. 

 

\---

 

Kenma looked outside his window, watching the rain come down harshly. He was waiting for Kuroo, anxious to see him after his epiphany last night, but excited to see him nonetheless. They had settled on Kuroo coming to visit him after he dropped off his things at his own home, and Kenma had agreed to wait for him inside. He was getting tired, reaching for the game to play when he spotted an umbrella leaving Kuroo's house. 

He quickly left his room and ran down his stairs, putting on whichever shoes he found first down by the foyer, not caring that they weren't waterproof. He was on a mission and that mission was Kuroo. 

As he opened the door to step outside, Kuroo was turning the corner into his yard. Their eyes met briefly, Kuroo smiling widely and waving at Kenma with the hand not holding his umbrella. 

"Ken—" but Kuroo never finished, because Kenma had ran out into the rain, launching himself at Kuroo, enveloping him in a crushing hug, causing him to drop his umbrella. 

Kuroo didn't take long to react, returning the hug with the same fervor as Kenma. They stayed like that, getting absolutely soaked to the bone as neither wanted to let go. 

Kuroo was the first to speak, "Kenma" he whispered into Kenma's hair, "I've missed you so much," 

"I love you," Kenma said boldly looking up to meet Kuroo's gaze. "I've missed you and I've realized that I love you." 

Kuroo's eyes widened at the statement, before settling on a smile so tender Kenma wanted to kiss it off of him. Kuroo brushed away the wet hairs from Kenma's face, before cupping his cheek, tenderly, lovingly, "I love you too, so much," and it was spoken for only Kenma's ears. 

"Can I kiss you?"

Kuroo nodded, leaning down to meet Kenma halfway. They met hesitantly, uncertain, until they weren't. The gentle caress of their lips was feather soft yet all Kenma could see were stars behind his closed eyes.

_ This is home.  _ Kenma thought, and as they kissed in the rain, Kenma decided he never wanted to leave home again. So he didn't. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading, kudos and comments are much appreciated!!!
> 
> I'm over at [@wrenrouge](http://twitter.com/wrenrouge/) on twitter and [@wrenrouge](http://wrenrouge.tumblr.com/) on tumblr if you wanna holla at me.


End file.
